Volumetric filling apparatus



March 9, 1965 c. v. WILHERE ETAL 3,

VOLUMETRIC FILLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 23, 1965 I5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR-S.

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March 9, 1965 Filed Jan. 23, 1963 C. V. WILHERE ETAL VOLUMETRIC FILLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. (f/42L EJ ll WILHEEE, WILBUR H. BULCHO.

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United States Patent 3,172,436 VOLUMETRIC FILLING AP?ARATUS Charles V. Wilhere and Wilbur H. Bulcao, Pittsburgh, Pa,

assignors to Horix Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 253,345 6 Claims. (Cl. 141-446) This invention relates to apparatus for filling containers with liquid, and more particularly to supplying them with a predetermined volume of the liquid.

In the filling apparatus shown in Patent 2,591,071, bottles are filled through a plurality of valves to a predetermined height with liquid from a common tank. However, due to variations in the internal capacities of the bottles, some bottles will receive a little more or less liquid than others. Furthermore, some plastic and other non-rigid containers are deformed by the internal pressure caused by the liquid they contain, and the extent of deformation is variable, so that the internal volume changes as the containers are being filled.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide apparatus for filling each successive container with the same quantity of liquid, which includes a plurality of filling devices that can readily be adjusted for supplying equal amounts of liquid, and which permits simultaneous changing of the quantity of liquid supplied to containers by all of the filling devices.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section through the apparatus, with some of the elements shown in elevation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section showing the filling devices at opposite side of the machine;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of a modification; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the modification.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a large main tank 1 is rigidly mounted at its center on a downwardly extending tubular member 2 that is splined on the upper end of a hollow shaft 3 and has a shoulder resting on the inner race 4 of an upper bearing that encircles the tubular member and shaft. The outer race 5 of this bearing is supported by a plurality of vertical screws 6, the lower ends of which are rotatably supported by the outer race 7 of a lower bearing. The inner race 8 of this lower bearing is supported by the top of a carrier 9, such as shown in more detail in Patent 2,591,071. A pinion 11 is rigidly mounted on each screw directly above the lower bearing, and all three pinions mesh with a worm gear 12 journaled on the center shaft 3. This gear can be turned by a worm (not shown) mounted on a horizontal shaft 13 that is rotatable in an inner bearing (not shown) and an outer bearing 14 supported by a table 15 at one side of the machine. The outer end of the shaft is provided with a crank 16 for turning it. When this crank is turned, the vertical screws are turned and the upper bearings 4-5 is moved up or down accordingly, so that the tank will be adjusted vertically relative to the carrier 9 below it.

As shown in the above-mentioned patent, the carrier is continuously rotated in order to turn the center shaft 3 and tank 1. Slidably mounted in the carrier is a plurality of circumferentially spaced push rods 18, which are moved up and down in any suitable manner as the carrier rotates. Each push rod supports a rest 19 for a container 20, such as a can or bottle, that is to be filled with liquid from the tank. The container rest is prevented from turning relative to the carrier by means of a slide rod 21 extending from the inner end of the ice rest down through an opening in the carrier. Table 15 is supported at the same level as the container rests when they are in their lowest positions, and a container is slid from the table onto each successive adjacent rest by any well-known mechanism (not shown) and then the rest is raised toward the tank as the carrier 9 carries the rests around the center shaft. As described thus far, there is nothing new in the apparatus.

The bottom of the large tank is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet openings 23, each of which is in axial alignment with one of the carrier push rods 18 below it. Extending down from each of these tank openings is a filling valve, one above each container rest 19. These valve fill the containers supported beneath them when the containers are raised by the rests to open the valves. Each valve includes a vertical nozzle 24 that extends down through a tank bottom opening 23, in which the nozzle is clamped by a nut 25 threaded on the nozzle and engaging the bottom of the tank. As shown in FIG. 2, a long vertical sleeve 26 is slidably mounted in the nozzle and projects from its opposite ends. An additional seal is provided between the nozzle and sleeve by means of a packing nut 27 threaded in the lower end of the nozzle and compressing a packing ring 28 around the sleeve. Some distance below the nozzle the sleeve is thickened internally at 29 to reduce its inner diameter, and the portion of the sleeve below this thick part has a reduced outer diameter also. It may be formed by a short thin-walled tubular member 3th the upper end of which is rigidly mounted in the thick part of the sleeve.

Rigidly mounted on the upper end of sleeve 26 above nozdle 24 is an elongated sleeve tank 32 having an open upper end. The lower end of this tank opens into the upper end of the sleeve. Extending down through the sleeve tank and the sleeve is a long tube 33, the lower end of which is plugged. Preferably, a screw tip 34 is threaded into the lower end of the tube and supports a sealing washer 35 that engages the lower end of the sleeve. The upper end of the tube is rigidly supported above the sleeve tank by means supported by the main tank. Such means may include a vertical cylindrical member 36 encircling the sleeve tank and having its lower end screwed onto the upper end of the nozzle. This member may be provided with a pair of upwardly extending legs 37, the upper ends of which are connected by a horizontal cross piece 38, by which the upper end of tube 33 is supported.

It will be seen that the upper portion of sleeve 24 is spaced from the tube extending through it, but that the reduced lower end portion of the sleeve engages the tube. To aid in preventing leakage between the tube and the lower end of the sleeve, a gasket 40 may be mounted in a recess encircling the tube. Several inches above the thick part 29 of the sleeve the tube is provided with one or more lateral inlets 41 that place the inside of the tube in communication with the encircling sleeve. The tube also has one or more outlet ports 42 directly above its closed lower end. These normally are closed by the encircling small lower end of the sleeve. Consequently, when the sleeve tank is filled with liquid, the tube will be filled to the same level and the sleeve will be filled as far down as its tube-engaging portion 29. The lower end 3% of the sleeve and the sealing washer 35 on the lower end of the tube will prevent escape of liquid from the valve.

In order to open the valve, the sleeve must be moved upwardly in the nozzle to uncover the outlet ports in the tube, which is stationary. For raising the sleeve, an operating ring 43 is adjustably mounted on the reduced lower end of the sleeve. The adjustment can be made savages by inserting one or more spacer washers 44 of suitable thickness between the operating ring and the shoulder formed where the sleeve becomes larger. When a container on the rest 19 beneath the valve is raised as shown at the right-hand side of F1612, the top or neck of the container is telescoped over the lower end of the sleeve and engages the bottom of the operating ring and forces it and the sleeve upward. This uncovers the outlet ports 42 in the tube, which now extends down into the container with the ports below the narrow neck of the container, so that liquid can flowfrom the tube, sleeve and sleeve tank into the container until the level of the liquid in the sleeve falls to the lower edges of the elevated inlet ports 4-1 in the tube. While this is happening the container is vented through radial grooves 45 in thebottom of the operating ring. If the containers are not rigid enough to open the valves, or if the containers are of variable height, known rigid valve lifters can be attached to the rests for engaging the operating rings and raising all of them a uniform distance.

The upper level of the liquid in the main tank 1 is always maintained between the upper and lower positions of the sleeve tanks 32 so that While those tanks are in their lower position they will be filled with liquid from the main tank. When a container is raised to elevate the sleeve above it, the sleeve raises the sleeve tank that it supports far enough to elevate its upper end above the liquid level in the main tank. rises above the liquid in the main tank before the tube outlets are uncovered, so no liquid in the main tank can enter the tank while the valve is open.

Due to the fact that it is extremely difficult to make the volumetric capacities of all of the valves exactly alike when they are manufactured and assembled in the main rtank, means is provided for adjusting their capacities so that all will hold the same amount of liquid. This is accomplished by means of displacement collars 46 ad justably mounted on the upper ends of the stationary tubes 33. Each collar is an elongated member that extends down into the upper end of the underlying sleeve tank, and may be held in any desired vertical position on the tube by means of a set screw 47 or the like. Before a run of containers is put through the machine, the collars are individually adjusted on the tubes to make cer-tain that each valve will deliver the same amount of liquid as all of the others. The manner in which the displacement collars function is to cause overflow of liquid from the sleeve tanks when the latter are raised above the liquid level in the main tank. Changing the position of a collar on a tube will change the amount of overflow and thereby alter the volume of liquid in the sleeve tank that receives the collar.

Furthermore, this overflow is required for accurate filling of the containers, because of the changing liquid level in main tank 1. Variations in that level will cause more or less liquid to stand in each tube 33 when the valve is closed. However, when a sleeve tank 32 is raised in the main tank the liquid level in tube 33 will raise so as to be at the same level as the liquid in the surrounding sleeve tank at the instant before outlet ports 42 open. This additional liquid in the tube can come from only one place, the elevated sleeve tank, which would, therefore, become less than full if the displacement collar 46 did not cause the sleeve tank to overflow while the tank is rising. By setting all of the collars to causethe elevated sleeve tanks to overflow even when the liquid level in the main tank is at its lowest permissible level, the liquid levels in each tube 33 and surrounding elevated sleeve tank will always be at the top of the sleeve tank regardless of normal variations in liquid level in the main tank.

After all of the valves have been adjusted for uniform capacity in the manner just described, the volume of liquid delivered to a run of containers will be the same for every container. Each tube 33 and associated sleeve tank and sleeve 26 i5 .SiZed to hold the maximum volume of liquid The top of the sleeve tank that is to be delivered to a container. Then the volume actually delivered can be reduced considerably if desired by displacing the capacity of the sleeve tank by means of a filler element inserted in the sleeve tank. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the filler element may be a disc or block 47a shaped to fit in the lower part of the sleeve tank, but provided with a radial slot 48 to permit it first to be moved radially onto displacement collar 46 above the lowered sleeve tank and then lowered into that tank. For lowering and removing the block, it may support a rod 4h that extends up out of the sleeve tank to a point where it can be held in the hand as a handle for the block. The volume also can be changed when desired by changing the distance between the operating rings 43 and the upper postions of the container rests. This can be done in any one of three ways; either by adjusting the tank vertically by turning crank 16, or by providing means for adjusting the length of push rods 18, or by adjusting operating rings 43 along the sleeves.

To, insure quick closing of the valves when the filled containers are lowered, each sleeve26 may be encircled by a coil spring 51 compressed between the lower end of the adjoining nozzle and a washer 52 mounted on the underlying thick part 29 of the sleeve. Of course, each valve closes before the top of its sleeve tank descends below the liquid in the main tank. The valve then refills itself from the liquid flowing into the top of the sleeve tank.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle of our invention and have illustrated and described what we nowconsider to represent its best embodiment. However, we desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

We claim:

l. Volumetric filling apparatus comprising a main tank having a bottom opening, a nozzle extending down through said opening and sealed therein, a vertical sleeve extending through the nozzle in sliding sealing engagement with it, an open top sleeve tank rigidly mounted on the upper end of the sleeve and communicating therewith, a vertical tube extending through said sleeve tank and sleeve and having a closed lower end, means supported by the main tank for rigidly supporting the upper end of the tube above the sleeve tank, saidsleeve having an upper portion spaced radially from the tube and-having a lower portion in sliding sealing engagement with the tube, the tube having an open inlet port inside the upper portion of the sleeve and having an outlet port inside the lower portion of the sleeve normally closed thereby, said main tank being adapted to be filled with liquid to a level above the sleeve tank in order to fill the sleeve tank, an operating member mounted on the lower portion of the sleeve, a vertically movable container support below said tube adapted to lift an empty container to engage its open top with the bottom of said operating member and lift that member, whereby to raise the sleeve far enough to expose said outlet port at a predetermined height inside the container and simultaneously to raise the upper end of the sleeve tank above the liquid level in the main tank, and means for changing the distance between said operating member and the upper position of said container support.

2. Volumetric filling apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which said tube-supporting means includes a vertical member surrounding said sleeve tank and mounted on the upper, end of said nozzle, and a cross member at the upper end of said vertical member secured to the upper end of said tube.

3. Volumetric filling apparatus according to claim 1, including a filler element removably disposed in the sleeve tank below said displacement collar to reduce the capacity of that tank.

4. Volumetric filling apparatus according to claim 1,

including a displacement collar mounted on the upper portion of said tube in a position to extend down into the elevated sleeve tank to cause liquid to overflow that tank.

5. Volumetric filling apparatus in accordance with claim 4, in which said displacement collar is slidably mounted on said tube and includes means for holding it in any desired position along the tube to vary said overflow.

6. Volumetric filling apparatus comprising a main tank having a bottom opening, a nozzle extending down through said opening and sealed therein, a vertical sleeve extending through the nozzle in sliding sealing engagement with it, an open top sleeve tank rigidly mounted on the upper end of the sleeve and communicating therewith, a vertical tube extending through said sleeve tank and sleeve and having a closed lower end, means supported by the main tank for nigidly supporting the upper end of the tube above the sleeve tank, said sleeve having an upper portion spaced radially from the tube and having a lower portion in sliding sealing engagement with the tube, the tube having an open inlet port inside the upper portion of the sleeve and having an outlet port inside the lower portion of the sleeve normally closed thereby, said main tank being adapted to be filled with liquid to a level above the sleeve tank in order to fill the sleeve tank, an operating member mounted on the lower portion of the sleeve and adapted to be engaged by the open top of an upwardly moving container to raise the sleeve far enough to expose said tube outlet port at a predetermined height inside the container and simultaneously to raise the upper end of the sleeve tank above the liquid level in the main tank, and a displacement collar mounted on the upper portion of the tube in a position to extend down into the elevated sleeve tank to cause liquid to overflow that tank.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,711,361 4/29 Miller 141140 XR 2,172,012 9/39 Luhdorfl 141146 XR 2,174,420 9/39 Kantor 141152 XR 2,591,071 4/52 Huggins et al 141140 FOREIGN PATENTS 664,967 4/29 France.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. VOLUMETRIC FILLING APPARATUS COMPRISING A MAIN TANK HAVING A BOTTOM OPENING, A NOZZLE EXTENDING DOWN THROUGH SAID OPENING AND SEALED THEREIN, A VERTICAL SLEEVE EXTENDING THROUGH THE NOZZLE IN SLIDING SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH IT, AN OPEN TOP SLEEVE TANK RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON THE UPPER END OF THE SLEEVE AND COMMUNICATING THEREWITH, A VERTICAL TUBE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLEEVE TANK AND SLEEVE AND HAVING A CLOSED LOWER END, MEANS SUPPORTED BY THE MAIN TANK FOR RIGIDLY SUPPORTING THE UPPER END OF THE TUBE ABOVE THE SLEEVE TANK, SAID SLEEVE HAVING AN UPPER PORTION SPACED RADIALLY FROM THE TUBE AND HAVING A LOWER PORTION IN SLIDING SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TUBE, THE TUBE HAVING AN OPEN INLET PORT INSIDE THE UPPER PORTION OF THE SLEEVE AND HAVING AN OUTLET PORT INSIDE THE LOWER PORTION OF THE SLEEVE NORMALLY CLOSED THEREBY, SAID MAIN TANK BEING ADAPTED TO BE FILLED WITH LIQUID TO A LEVEL ABOVE THE SLEEVE TANK IN ORDER TO FILL THE SLEEVE TANK, AN OPERATING MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE LOWER PORTION OF THE SLEEVE, A VERTICALLY MOVABLE CONTAINER SUPPORT BELOW SAID TUBE ADAPTED TO LIFT AN EMPTY CONTAINER TO ENGAGE ITS OPEN TOP WITH THE BOTTOM OF SAID OPERATING MEMBER AND LIFT THAT MEMBER, WHEREBY TO RAISE THE SLEEVE FAR ENOUGH TO EXPOSE SAID OUTLET PORT AT A PREDETERMINED HEIGHT INSIDE THE CONTAINER AND SIMULTANEOUSLY TO RAISE THE UPPER END OF THE SLEEVE TANK ABOVE THE LIQUID LEVEL IN THE MAIN TANK, AND MEANS FOR CHANGING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID OPERATING MEMBER AND THE UPPER POSITION OF SAID CONTAINER SUPPORT. 